Rotary hook for sewing machines



1935- e. w. WESSON ROTARY HOOK FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed March 13, 1934 Patented Oct. 29, 1935 2,019,284 ROTARY HOOK FOR SEWING MACHINES George W. Wesson, Bridgeport, Conn, assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 13, 1934, Serial No. 715,256

4 Claims. (01. 112-228) This invention relates to improvements in rotary hooks for sewing machines and more particularly for sewing machines in which the axis of rotation of the hook is substantially parallel to 6; the path of needle reciprocation.

The invention has for an object to provide a sewing machine rotary hook with a needle-guard adapted to be readily set into different positions radially of the hook body to obviate fouling of ;the hook beak by a needle bent or deflected out of its normai path of reciprocation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a needle-guide for rotary hooks of sewing machines, which needle-guide is adapted to be readily :set into different positions radially of the hook body in accordance with diiferent sizes of needles employed.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the present invention consists in the improved needle-guarding and needle-guiding means hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a sewing machine rotary hook having having a combination needle-guard and needleguide constructed in accordance with the present invention, the throat-plate and feed-dog of the sewing machine being shown in section and the needle being illustrated in a thread-loop presenting position. Fig. 2 is a top plan of the rotary hook and showing the needle in section. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of the combination needle-guard and needle-guide, detached from the rotary hook. 7

Referring to the drawing, a sewing machine containing the present improvement has a Worksupport including a throat-plate I provided with a feed-slot 2 in which operates a feed-dog 3. The feed-dog 3 is apertured to receive a vertically reciprocatory needle i which moves laterally while in the work to assist the work-advancing action of the feed-dog. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention is not limited to a sewing machine having a compound needle and feeddog work-advancing mechanism, as the needle may be reciprocated in a fixed path and through an aperture in the throat-plate in a well known manner.

Cooperating with the needle 4, below the throatplate I, in the formation of lock-stitches, is a rotary hook of the vertical-axis type, i. e., a rotary hook having its axis of rotation substantially parallel to the path of needle reciprocation. The rotary hook is carried by a vertically disposed shaft 5, which is preferably rotated twice for each needle reciprocation.

The rotary hook has a cup-shaped body constituted by a bottom wall 6 and a cylindrical side wall i, the bottom wall 6 having a depending boss 5 8 embracing and suitably secured to the hookshaft 5. The cylindrical side wall 7 of the hook body is partly cut away to provide a hook-beak 9, the cutaway portion of the side wall leaving a notch extending from the upper or free rim of 10 the side wall l and preferably to substantially the bottom wall 6. Opposite to the hook-beak 9, the notch is in the present case defined by a substantially straight and vertical end-wall I0, although this side of the notch may have the usual loop- 5 discharging tail or spur, if preferred.

Disposed below the hook body and detachably secured to the under side of the bottom wall 6 thereof is a disk-like supporting plate I! having an aperture l2 to receive the depending boss 8. 20 Rising vertically from the outer edge of the supporting plate II and extending into the notched portion of the cylindrical wall I is a flange [3, provided with a needle-guard wing l4 and a needle guide wing I5, said wings extending in opposite g directions circumferentially of the cylindrical wall I. The needle-guard wing M has its bottom edge free of and preferably spaced from the bottom wall 6 of the hook body and from the supporting plate I I, while the free end of the wing It may be dis- 30 posed in contact with the notch-wall I0. The wing I4 is preferably bent inwardly within the outer periphery of the hook body to insure that when the needle 4 is bent out of its normal path of reciprocation, said needle is positively deflected 35 or guided by said needle-guard wing l4 outwardly of the hook body, whereby engagement of the needle by the inner face of the hook-beak is obviated.

The needle-guide wing l5 extends toward but 40 is spaced from the loop-distending edge 9 of the hook-beak 9 and, like the guard wing It, has its bottom edge free of and preferably spaced from the bottom wall 6 of the hook body, as well as from the supporting plate ll. The needle-guide wing 5 I5, in the presentcase, is substantially in circumferential alinement with the outer face of the hook body, inasmuch as the hook-beak 9 is not materially bent outwardly from said body. In any event, the wing I5 is disposed to guide the 50 needle into proper position for cooperation with the loop-taker, said wing l5 being bent into the position best meeting the requirements of the size of needle employed.

It will be understood that by forming the wings 55 l4 and [5 as hereinbefore described, said wings may be readily bent to occupy different positions radially of the hook body, without distorting the supporting plate H. While the wing l4 functions primarily to prevent the needle from descending at the inner side of the hook-beak, the wing l5 functions to guide the needle into proper looppresenting position.

It will be obvious, of course, that either one of the Wings 14 or I5 may be omitted, Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

The usual thread-case I6 is journaled in the rotary hook and carries a bobbin I! for holding thread around which the needle-thread loops are cast in the formation of lock-stitches, the threadcase being restrained against rotation with the loop-taker in any usual or suitable manner.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is l. A rotary hook for sewing machines having a reciprocatory needle and the axis of rotation of the hook substantially parallel to the path of needle reciprocation, comprising, a cup-shaped body including a bottom Wall and a cylindrical side Wall, said cylindrical side wall being notched to provide a loop-seizing beak, and a needle-guard carried by the bottom wall and disposed in the notch or" the cylindrical wall of the hook body free of said cylindrical wall, said needle-guard having a needle-deflecting Wing spaced from the bottom wall of the hook body and. adapted to be bent into diiferent positions radially of the hook body.

2. A rotary hook for sewing machines having a reciprocatory needle and the axis of rotation of the hook substantially parallel to the path of needle reciprocation, comprising, a cup-shaped body including a bottom wall and a cylindrical side wall, said cylindrical side wall being notched to provide a loop-seizing beak, and a needle-guard carried by the bottom wall of said body having a needle-deflecting Wing disposed in the notch of said cylindrical wall and free of the hook body, said needle-deflecting wing having its free end directionally extending toward the side of said notch opposite to the hook-beak side thereof, and disposed to flex a bent needle toward the outer face of the hook-beak.

3. A rotary hook for sewing machines having a reciprocatory needle and the axis of rotation of the hook substantially parallel to the path of needle reciprocation, comprising, a cup-shaped body including a bottom wall and a cylindrical side wall, said cylindrical side wall being notched to provide a loop-seizing beak, and a needle-guard carried by the bottom wall of said body having needle-guiding wings disposed in the notch of said cylindrical wall and extending in opposite directions circumferentially of the hook body, said wings being free of the hook body and thereby adapted to be bent individually into different positions radially of the hook body.

4. A rotary hook for sewing machines having a reciprocatory needle and the axis of rotation of the hook substantially parallel to the path of needle reciprocation, comprising, a cup-shaped body including a bottom wall and a cylindrical side wall, said cylindrical side wall being notched to provide .a loop-seizing beak, a needle-guard supporting plate disposed below said bottom wall of the hook and provided with an upstanding flange extending into the notch of said cylindrical wall, said flange having a flexible needle-deflecting wing free of said cylindrical wall and spaced from said supporting plate.

GEORGE W. WESSON. 

